EAT: AFTERNOON TEA, HOTEL WINDSOR MELBOURNE

Just another Friday afternoon spent with three work friends. Except not at the office. Instead, we find ourselves at the tearoom of the Hotel Windsor, enjoying a spot of afternoon tea. Huzzah for Grand Final Friday.

The last time I had stepped foot into The Windsor Hotel for afternoon tea was back in 2013, and given how enjoyable this first experience was, I was long overdue for a second visit. The most recent visit was thankfully no different to the first, delivering all the goods when it came to a tasty and memorable spread, and ticking all the boxes with a quality scone (arguably the MOST important aspect that makes or breaks a good afternoon tea). The only difference this time around seemed to be the addition of two petite savoury items. And a welcome addition to say the least; both the tart (delightfully short pastry) and parmesan crusted gougere (an incredible cheesy choux puff if you like) were stand outs amongst our afternoon tea spread, and very tough acts to follow. The scones of course matched these, and won over my taste buds from first bite to last. Baked fresh daily and served warm, these had a gorgeous shell and buttery light interior, pairing beautifully with a dollop of jam and cream. Of the sweets, I was surprised to find myself preferring the Ferrero Rocher-esque Longchamp over the vanilla and yuzu religieuse; despite the former sounding more decadent, the white chocolate element of the latter pushed it into sugar coma territory.

6 years on (wow, time DOES fly), and I still would recommend The Hotel Windsor for all the afternoon tea fans out there.